Jan 9, 202210 min read

Disney-Thanksgiving Break 2021

Updated: Sep 13, 2022

During the Spring of 2021, after already having planned an epic road trip to South Dakota, I felt the inevitable pull of Disney, calling my family back to re-live our incredible Thanksgiving 2019 trip. I told my husband it was financially possible, and with little to no convincing, I got the green light and began planning another 8-day trip to Florida during our week-long Thanksgiving break from school.

From our lessons learned, and the things we missed, we decided to "splurge" and pay extra to pick our flight days and times to maximize our time spent in Florida. This also allowed us to spend 5 full days in the Disney parks (plus 1 day at Universal). What ensued was yet another successful and whirlwind trip to Orlando.

Saturday, November 20: Travel Day ORD-->MCO

On Saturday, we flew out of O'Hare airport. We were able to meet the pilot who not only gave both kids a tour of the cockpit, but he also gave me a shout out over the announcements ("On board we have a special guest--a librarian from Sterling and her family.") This set us up for what was sure to be yet another epic Disney vacation!

Pictured: August at the controls in the cockpit.

Pictured: Harper at the controls.

From there, it was smooth sailing to Orlando MCO airport, where we picked up our rental car (Budget...WOULD NOT RECOMMEND EVER--but that's another story for another blog), and then headed to Orlando proper to pick up our Walmart grocery order and our delicious pre-ordered Gideon's bakehouse cookies. After a slight snafu with the Walmart pickup (who knew there were 2 Walmarts directly north of the airport on the same road within .5 miles of each other?), we were on our way to Gideon's.

This is where I absolutely MUST recommend everyone headed to Disney make a pit stop. Not only did I pre-order and prepay for these delicious 1/2 pound cookies, but I simply walked in, waited in NO line, and had cookies in hand (really, in my mouth) within 5 minutes of parking!

There was only one cookie I didn't love, and it's only because it had cinnamon dust on top of the chocolate, but it didn't stop the four of us from devouring them! The best part is that these 6 cookies (the minimum pre-order) lasted us the entire week, and we were able to snack on them every night after being in the parks! They never got stale, even though we didn't carefully re-wrap them or store them!

Pictured: August with a chocolate chip cookie from Gideon's Bakehouse.

Our Air B&B was our tried and true spot in Celebration, which is absolutely the direction to stay, as somehow traffic toward Celebration on those busy days was nonexistent, but it was at a standstill for traffic headed in the other direction! Once we settled into our Air B&B, we hit up the Pizza Press (which is now a tradition because we've done it twice)! The pizza was so good we actually ate here twice this week!

After that it was light's out to gear up for our first full day in the parks: a day spent at Universal Studios Orlando.

Sunday, November 21: Universal Studios Florida

It is important to note that because we were only spending one day at Universal, we opted to splurge (again) and pay for the Express Pass, which allowed us to skip every line once. However, we rope-dropped (arriving at 8:45am for a 9am park open), and found that it wasn't really a necessary purchase since many of the rides were empty as a result of rope dropping! We ended up doing every single ride once (except Jimmy Fallon, which we did twice) and left the park before dinner! If you're looking to maximize your time, then I'd highly suggest Express Pass, but I was shocked by how few people were in the park on a Sunday morning. Obviously by lunch it was packed, especially in Harry Potter World, but for the most part, the rest of the park was very manageable!

We also paid for Premium parking every day in every park. Because Disney wasn't running their parking lot trams, it was worth the money every single day, especially on those evenings when nobody's legs seemed to be working anymore!

Attractions Experienced @Universal Studios

* Race Through New York with Jimmy Fallon (x2)

* The Fast and the Furious

* Men In Black

* The Simpsons

* Woody Woodpecker

* E.T.

* Kang & Kodos Hurl and Twirl

* Escape from Gringott's

* Transformers

* Despicable Me

** The Mummy (the kids were too scared to go on this, so only Toby rode it)

Food Experienced @Universal Studios

* Lard Lad Donuts

* Classic Monsters Cafe (highly recommend/shareable portions)

* Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour

Pictured: August with a Lard Lad Donut!

Monday, November 22: Hollywood Studios

Because we had such an early night, we were able to rest up and make it to rope drop yet another park the following day (9:00am-7:45pm). We had ambitious goals for the day and had pre-purchased Disney Genie Plus for each of our Disney park days. It was a must for this week, as the crowds were expected to be level 10/10 each day.

A note on Genie+ (paid service): because this was our first day in the park, we really had no idea what we were doing, and we got better at maximizing our Genie Plus service as the week went on. We only were able to score 4 Lightning Lanes on this day, so the service wasn't worth it in this instance, especially because we got Lightning Lanes for 3 attractions that rarely had waits. By the time we were done with "Frozen Ever After," our final Lightning Lane for the day, there weren't any other LL available. A stupid tax for sure, and now that we know better, we will make fewer mistakes at Hollywood because of it.

Pictured: The Johnson family on Hollywood Boulevard.

Attractions Experienced @Hollywood Studios

* Lightning McQueen

* Rock N'Roller Coaster (LL-9:45am)-->First LL made at 7:00am

* Beauty & The Beast (LL-10:30am)

* Mickey & Minnie Vacation Short

* Star Tours (LL-1:00pm)

* Muppet Vision 3D

* Droid Depot

* Frozen Ever After (LL-2:30pm)

* Alien Swirling Saucers

* Toy Story Mania

Food Experienced @Hollywood Studios

* Backlot Express (Burger meal for the kids & Wookiee Cookie) (Moblie Ordered)

* Ronto Roasters (Ronto Wrap) (Moblie Ordered)

* Market (Jack Jack Num Num Cookie)

* Woody's Lunchbox (Raspberry Lunchbox Tart, Smokey Turkey Sandwich, Kids Grilled Cheese & Totchos...twice) (Moblie Ordered)

* Milk Stand (Blue & Green Milk)

**Hot takes on food--The Jack Jack Num Num cookie was an A+ for our family, as were the totchos (hence me getting them once to share and once for my dinner). Backlot burgers were amazing, and my kids could've each eaten their own instead of sharing!

***The Johnson family often just gets two meals to split instead of 4 meals. It allows us to try more things and not fill up on things that are only okay!

Pictured: Heather, August and Harper "visiting" Potatoland.

Tuesday, November 23: Magic Kingdom

After two exhausting days in the parks, we decided it may be best to "sleep in" and get to the park later to allow our bodies to adjust to having just walked 40,000 steps. The park opened at 8am, but we didn't get there until 9:30am, which was just fine since our first Lightning Lane wasn't until 10:45am. The crowds were outrageous at that point, and so we made our decisions based on what Touring Plans recommended and the reassurance of knowing we were spending two days at MK. What began slowly (and super late), turned into one of the most successful park days at MK we've ever had. We still only got 4 Lightning Lanes, but we did A LOT! Part of that was due to the fact that we paid extra money to skip the line and ride Space Mountain (WORTH IT) AND we got a complimentary Lightning Lane when Splash Mountain went down within our LL time. I was able to immediately re-book while we were eating lunch, so we still got a LL for Splash AND were able to use the complimentary LL on Jungle Cruise! It allowed us to do ALL 3 mountains in one day and ride a lot of the little rides with no wait.

Pictured: August, Harper & Heather in front of the "famous" Purple Wall.

Attractions Experienced @Magic Kingdom 9:30am-8:30pm (park hours 8am-8pm)

* People Mover

* Barnstormer

* Big Thunder Mountain (LL-10:45am)-->First LL made at 7:00am

* Magic Carpets

* Pirates of the Carribbean

* Splash Mountain (LL-1:00pm)

* Country Bear Jamboree

* Jungle Cruise (LL-Complimentary b/c Splash went down)

* Swiss Family Treehouse

* Mickey's Philharmagic

* It's a Small World

* Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor

* Space Mountain (LL-5:30pm)--> PAID INDIVIDUAL LL

* Haunted Mansion (LL-7:30pm)

* Fireworks

Food Experienced @Magic Kingdom

* Pecos Bill (Nachos, Churros, Donut Holes) (Moblie Ordered)

* Sunshine Tree Terrace (I Lava You Float & Fanta Orange Float)

* Westward Ho (Candied Bacon...BEST THING I ATE)

* Golden Oak Outpost (Chocolate Chunk Cookie)

* Cosmic Ray's (Burgers & fries, Chocolate Bundt Cake)(Moblie Ordered)

Pictured: Toby and August with an epic lunch from Pecos Bill's!

Wednesday, November 24: Magic Kingdom

The park closed on Tuesday at 8pm for an After Hours event, so after fireworks (which we hardly were able to see because we viewed them from Main Street), we had to exit the park. We wanted a chance at redemption on our last day at Magic, so although we slept in again, we were able to go 10:00am-9:30pm at the park on this day. This was also the only day we had a dining reservation (for Liberty Tree Tavern). It was the most incredible food we ate; however, at a price tag of $170 for a family of 4, I don't envision us eating there again! But seriously. The food was so good. So so good. (I had to stop myself from licking the dessert plate!)

Pictured: The Johnson family outside Cinderella Castle.

Attractions Experienced @Magic Kingdom 10:00am-9:30pm (park hours 9am-10pm)

* Enchanted Tiki Room

* Big Thunder Mountain (LL-10:45am)-->First LL made at 7:00am

* Hall of Presidents

* Buzz Lightyear (LL-1:00pm)

* Carousel of Progress

* Astro Orbiter

* Tea Cups

* Prince Charming's Royal Carousel

* Tomorrowland Speedway (LL-3:00pm)

* Under the Sea

* Dumbo

* Barnstormer (LL-5:00pm)

* Fireworks

* 7 Dwarves Mine Train

Food Experienced @Magic Kingdom

* Liberty Tree Tavern (12:30pm Dining Reservation)

* Gaston's (Cinnamon Roll & LaFeau Brew)--> ASK FOR EXTRA FROSTING FOR THE CINNAMON ROLL...IT'S FREE!

* Popcorn Kiosk in Liberty Square

* Lunching Pad (Cream Cheese Stuffed Pretzel & Regular Pretzel) (Moblie Ordered)

Pictured: August with his favorite course at Liberty Tree Tavern.

Thursday, November 25: EPCOT (Thanksgiving Day)

Heading into day 5 in a row of hitting up parks meant we had a very tired family of four; however, this was the day we were going to meet up with my brother's family and his in-laws to celebrate Thanksgiving! I was hoping we'd be able to visit all the attractions and eat around the world, but we missed that mark. However, we were able to visit nearly all the attractions except the big two: Frozen & Ratatouille. I'll take it.

We did end up rope dropping this park since it didn't open until 10am. We had to wait behind a literal rope, and once it "dropped," we had to make quick decisions. This park was massive, and running back and forth between attractions to make lightning lanes was a mistake I won't make again. I hadn't been to Epcot since I was 17 and very much not in charge of the planning, and we definitely didn't even go into the World Showcase on that day, so I had no idea how much walking this park would require. However, both of my kids loved it and want to go back, so it was obviously worth it!

Pictured: The Johnsons, Widolffs and Vanderlins eating pastries in Morocco as we attempt to eat around the world!

Attractions Experienced @Epcot 10:00am-8:30pm (park hours 10am-10pm)

* The Seas

* Turtle Talk

* Soarin'

* Living with the Land (LL-1:00pm)

* Mission Space (Green) (LL-2:00pm)

* Journey Into Imagination (LL-3:00pm)

* 3 Caballeros

* Test Track (LL-5:30pm)-->First LL made at 7:00am

* Spaceship Earth (LL-8:00pm)

Food Experienced @Epcot

* CANADA-poutine (Refreshment Port)

* UNITED KINGDOM-fish & chips (Yorkshire County Fish Shop) (Moblie Ordered)

* FRANCE-crepes (La Creperie)

-macarons, chocolate chip brioche, baguette, creme brulee (Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie)

* MOROCCO-assorted pastries

* JAPAN-Kakigori (Kabuki Cafe)

* GERMANY-caramel corn & gingerbread cookie (Karamell Kuche) (Moblie Ordered)

* Popcorn kiosk outside of "Journey Into Imagination"

Pictured: Some of the many treats we enjoyed at Epcot. The Gingerbread cookie from Karamell Kuche was the BEST treat I had.

Saturday, November 27: Animal Kingdom

After having a day off from the parks to rest and re-charge, we were ready to spend our last day in Florida visiting the animals at Animal Kingdom. We also felt like we had a better grasp on using Genie Plus (setting so many alarms to make better LL selections), and we knew our way around the parks better. This was also a 7/10 crowd day (unlike every other day at 10/10), so we were excited to spend less time fighting crowds and more time enjoying the parks. We rope dropped this park as well, and this was a more fun park to rope drop, as we were able to enter the tapstyles and look at the cast members feeding birds just outside the Tree of Life.

Pictured: The Johnson family with a fun photo edit in front of the Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom.

Attractions Experienced @Animal Kingdom 18:00am-6:45pm (park hours 8am-8pm)

* Kiliminjaro Safaris (LL-8:00am)-->First LL made at 7:00am

* Gorilla Walk

* Festival of the Lion King (LL-10:00am)

* Train-->Rafiki's Planet Watch--> Affection Section

* Animation Experience (LL-11:00am)

* Expedition Everest

* Triceratops Spin

* A Bug's Life

* Maharajah Jungle Trek

* Dinosaur(LL-3:00pm)

* Flight of Passage (LL-5:00pm)--> PAID INDIVIDUAL LL

* Navi River Journey (LL-5:30pm)

Food Experienced @Animal Kingdom

* Creature Comforts (Colossal Mickey Cinnamon Roll) This is just a Starbucks--a disappointment

* Flame Tree Barbecue (Baked Macaroni & Cheese w/ Pulled Pork & Ribs/Chicken Legs) (Moblie Ordered)

* Dino Bites (Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich)

* Popcorn kiosk

* Satu'li Canteen (Cheeseburger Steamed Pods) (Moblie Ordered)-->We got the kids' meal since we also got food from Pongu Pongu!

* Pongu Pongu (Colossal Pretzel, Pongu Lumpia, Night Blossom)

Pictured: Baked Mac & Cheese w/pulled pork from Flame Tree BBQ--one of Heather's favorites!

This was yet another incredible trip, and I learned so much (again) from our experiences:

1) Memorizing the maps and learning where to go was clutch for those super busy days (I pretended I knew what I was doing...).

Pictured: The Johnson family on the "secret" walkway between Liberty Square and Frontierland.

2) Mobile ordering and clicking the "I'm here" button before actually arriving so I wouldn't have to wait.

Pictured: Harper & August sharing a burger basket at Backlot Express (WITH FREE WATER) and the family splitting the Wookiee Cookie.

3) Sharing meals and having lots of snacks meant no one was overly full (except from Liberty Tree) and splitting parents/kids to pick up food from multiple sites with a rendezvous point maximized our snackage!

Pictured: One very disappointing colossal cinnamon roll from Creature Comforts served as breakfast for all four of us!

4) Finding out of the way places to enjoy snacks and relax was huge. Here are my favorites in each park:

* Universal--we sat outside "The Mummy" ride while Toby rode and enjoyed people watching and a show!

* Hollywood Studios--sitting in Galaxy's Edge to people watch and eat our goodies from Woody's Lunchbox

* Magic--Sitting in the "big top" WAAAYYYY back in Storybook Circus, where there was cover from the elements, and charging stations for phones! I'll utilize this spot a million more times in the future. Best kept secret.

* Epcot--Picnic tables in the American pavilion.

* Animal--Dino Bites porch, which connects to Restaurantosaurus.

Pictured: The Johnsons, Widolffs and Vanderlins eating Kaki Gori in the American Pavilion.

All in all, it was a super successful, yet exhausting, week of Disney fun that I can't wait to do all over again!